Warehouse
The Warehouse is a storage facility for artifacts. There have been 13 iterations of the Warehouse throughout history.All information in this article comes from information originally appearing on the Syfy Warehouse history page. The current iteration, Warehouse 13, was built on American soil in 1914, contradicting Artie's statement that the first iteration of the current Warehouse was built in 1898.Pilot Warehouse 1 (Greece) Location: Kingdom of Macedonia Time Period: 336 BC - 323 BC The first Warehouse was built in Macedonia by Alexander the Great to house various artifacts he collected during his life while on campaign. It is possible that an artifact was responsible for his poor health and subsequent death by poisoning. The first Warehouse was built directly next to his residence, lending credence to the theory that an artifact was responsible for his death. Warehouse 2 (Egypt) Location: Ptolemaic Dynasty (Egypt) Time Period: 323 BC - 31BC The second Warehouse was built in Egypt immediately after the death of Alexander the Great. This iteration of the Warehouse saw the establishment of the governing body of Warehouse officials known as the Regents. These regents were the first "collectors" or agent of any Warehouse and were responsible for adding to the Warehouse trove such artifacts as Cleopatra's Asp Skin. Agents were not officially employed until much later in Warehouse history. The Warehouse moved to its next location shortly after Cleopatra's death. However, the Warehouse had not been properly deactivated, due to the invasion of the Romans in 31 B.C.E. In 2010, it was mysteriously reactivated and attempted to form a connection with Irene Frederic, current Warehouse Caretaker. Warehouse 13 agents Pete, Myka, and Helena G. Wells were able to fully deactivate it. Pete says in the finale of season 2 that the Warehouse will take weeks to properly exhume the lost Warehouse. It can be reasoned after this the resident artifacts will be transferred to Warehouse 13. Warehouse 3 (Italy) Location: Western Roman Empire Time Period: 30 BC - 434 AD With the suicide of Cleopatra and the subsequent conquest of Eqypt by Rome, the Warehouse moved to the Western Roman empire, beginning what may have been the most fruitful period of Warehouse activity in its history. It is believed that the rulers of Rome contributed tens of thousands of artifacts to the Warehouse, thus ensuring a fruitful and powerful empire. Three of the most important artifacts contributed during that time include Marcus Aurelius's Sword, Constantine the Great's Crucifix, and Nero's Lyre. Warehouse 4 (Huns) Location: Hunnic Empire Time Period: 434 AD - 453 AD As Rome's influence in the world began to wane and the Hunnic Empire's influence increased, the next iteration of the Warehouse appeared somewhere in what is now known as eastern central Europe. No known capital of the Hunnic empire was ever clearly identified, however, and the Warehouse moved not long after the death of Attilla the Hun, as his sons vied for power of the empire. The 4th iteration of the Warehouse was one of the shortest in history, lasting only 19 years total, at which point it moved back to the (Eastern) Roman empire (now known as the Byzantine empire). Warehouse 5 (Byzantine) Location: Byzantine Empire Time Period: 453 AD - 813 AD The short period of time the Warehouse existed in the Hunnic empire was eclipsed by its return to Rome under the rise of what is now called the Byzantine Empire. During this time, the Warehouse again flourished and thousands of artifacts were added to the Warehouse stores from around the world, especially those of religious significance. It wasn't until slightly after the Byzantine rise of iconoclasm that the Warehouse relocated itself to its next location—the Islamic world. Warehouse 6 (Cambodia) Location: Khmer Empire (Southeast Asia) Time Period: 813 AD - 1219 AD The 6th iteration of the Warehouse was located in the city of Angkor in what is now known as the Kingdom of Cambodia. It was located in this east Asian country for over four centuries and represents the greatest time of expansion of the Warehouse's collection of Asian artifacts, especially those related to the Hindu and Buddhist religions. The Warehouse lasted here until slightly after the death of Jayavaran VII, one of only two Buddhist emperors in the history of the Khmer empire, as political unrest began to sweep the empire. Warehouse 7 (China) Location: Mongol Empire Time Period: 1219 AD - 1260 AD After the beginning of unrest in the Khmer Empire, the Warehouse again moved, but not far, this time to the center of the Mongol Empire in what was likely the city of Karakorum. Little is known about the artifacts added during the time it was located in the Mongol Empire, though it is thought that the Warehouse did expand its collection. It wasn't until the political unrest heralding the start of the reign of the Kublai Khan that the Warehouse moved once again back to Rome and the European continent. Warehouse 8 (Germany) Location: Holy Roman Empire Time Period: 1260 AD - 1517 AD The 8th iteration was located in Germany as the Holy Roman Empire began to hold sway through the world. It was during its time in this location that The Regents perfected their analysis that heralded a Warehouse move, learning how to read the climates indicating a decline of power of the hosting Warehouse culture. Martin Luther's issuance of the "The Ninety-Five Theses" that ushered in the start of the Protestant Reformation and the beginning of the decline of the Holy Roman Empire. Warehouse 9 (Turkey) Location: Ottoman Empire (Turkey) Time Period: 1517 AD - 1566 AD The 9th iteration of the Warehouse was only located in the Ottoman empire until the death of Suleiman the Magnificent, a period of great cultural improvement. Although the exact location is unknown, it is likely the Warehouse was located in Constantinople (now called Istanbul), the Imperial seat of the empire. Because the Topkapi Palace still stands to this day, the Warehouse was clearly not located too closely to this area of the city. With the death of Suleiman, the empire began to suffer political and military stagnation, and despite being a prominent cultural center for hundreds of years after his death, the Regents moved the Warehouse yet again. Warehouse 10 (India) Location: Mughal Empire (India) Time Period: 1566 AD - 1725 AD The rising power of the Mughal Empire, which eventually encompassed the majority of the Indian subcontinent by the height of its influence, convinced the Regents to relocate the 10th iteration of the Warehouse. Likely the location was in the capital city of Agra, then the capital of the empire and eventual home to the famous Taj Mahal, the original plans of which are currently housed at the Warehouse. The decline of the Mughals with the rise of British Colonialism signals yet another Warehouse move. Continuity note: Syfy notes that the end of the reign of Shah Alaam I signaled the power change prompting the Regents to move the Warehouse to its next location. Either the Shah's name is incorrect or the date is incorrect, though it is more likely the name, not the date. Shah Alaam I's fourth son, Muhammad Shah, was the emperor in power during the year the Warehouse was moved. Warehouse 11 (Russia) Location: Russian Empire (Moscow) Time Period: 1725 AD - 1830 AD Peter I the Great of Russia consolidated the power of the Russian Empire and upon his death in 1725, his wife Catherine I took power. This coincided with the relation of the 11th iteration of the Warehouse to Moscow, the seat of power at that time. During this iteration, the Regents began to regularly use agents not only for artifact retrieval but also protection of the Warehouse itself. The collection within the Warehouse had, by this time, grown incredibly large and a team of agents began scouring the world for artifacts. Napolean's aborted attempt to overthrow the Russian Imperial family at the time was enough of an incident to suggest another move of the Warehouse that the Regents within the next 20 years, long before the February Revolution that signaled the end of Tsarist rule. Warehouse 12 (Britain) Location: British Empire (London) Time Period: 1830 AD - 1914 AD The year 1830 marked the date that most historians agreed the Industrial Revolution had finally taken hold in the world. With the fall of the Russian Empire on the horizon, the Regents chose to move the Warehouse yet again, this time to the British Empire in the city of London, England, a move largely heralded as one of the best locations since the original location of the 1st iteration in Alexandria. With increasing industry promoting travel and increased numbers of agents, the Warehouse again expanded its collection, this time with artifacts obtained from locations farther away from the actual Warehouse than ever before thought possible. It was during this time that an unprecedented number of Warehouse upgrades and improvements occurred, all considered state-of-the-art and many of which are still in use today. By the time of the assassination death of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, heir to the Austrian-Hungary empire, Britain had already become embroiled in an arms race with Russia. The assassination was signal to the Regents that another move needed to happen immediately. H.G. Wells was an apprentice at this incarnation of the Warehouse. Warehouse 13 (USA) Location: South Dakota, United States Time Period: 1914 AD - present The 13th iteration of the Warehouse marks the first time in its history that the Regents actively chose not to move the Warehouse to the center of an empire. Instead, the Warehouse was located in a remote area of South Dakota, within the United States of America. Because of the lack of population and the amount of possible land available, this area was chosen not just for remoteness, but also for expansion possibilities. With the rise of Hitler in the 1940s, a briefly discussed plan to move the Warehouse back to Germany was quickly abandoned. Security was vastly increased at the Warehouse with the increase in spying that became prevalent during that time and during the height of World War II. To prevent foreign spies from accessing Warehouse secrets and provide a stealthy reason for the Warehouse's existence, the Regents began circulating the very well-kept rumor that the Warehouse structure contained tax returns for all United States citizens. Ostensibly the rumor was repugnant enough to the majority of people that it and the increased technological safety measures of the time have protected the Warehouse ever since. References Category:Warehouse 13